Green belt campaigners have previously protested at the borough council offices

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While Guildford’s Conservative Association has fallen into turmoil, green belt campaigners have confirmed they are forming a new political party for next year’s elections.

Following a vote of no confidence in his leadership, county councillor Alan Young stepped down as chairman of the local Tories last week.

The vote came after a decision by the association in April not to re-select Councillor Monika Juneja as a candidate for next year’s local elections.

Cllr Juneja is currently on police bail having been arrested under suspicion of wilfully pretending to be a barrister, making and using false instruments and misconduct in a public office.

Sources close to the Conservative Association claim Cllr Young is concerned that the association’s decision not to re-select Cllr Juneja may be reversed.

Cllr Juneja is the deputy leader of the Conservative group in Guildford Borough Council, under Cllr Stephen Mansbridge, and is responsible for the delivery of the new local plan – guiding development in the area up to 2031.

A draft plan, which goes to public consultation on Tuesday (July 1), includes a number of proposals to build on the green belt to meet the target, set by the council, of 652 new homes each year.

'Disenfranchised'

Action groups have sprung up in many villages across the borough and Susan Parker from the umbrella organisation Guildford Greenbelt Group (GGG) confirmed that the process had begun of registering a new party to challenge the administration in the May 2015 election.

“I think what we would hope to do is have a candidate in every ward where we feel councillors are not listening to members of the public,” she said.

“If people feel they are disenfranchised or being ignored, we would hope to stand.

"We do not yet know how many there will be. It’s a huge level of commitment and obviously those people fascinated by the process of local government have got into it already.

“Obviously our people are taking on board the comments of local voters. We wouldn’t be opposing a councillor who we felt was doing a good job and representing the interests of their constituents.”

Several members are understood to be standing down and Mrs Parker said others, including councillors McShee, Hogger and Phillips, would not be opposed.

“These are people who on more than one occasion have done their bit to represent the views of the community,” she said.

Two weeks ago, GGG launched a petition to change the political system in Guildford, which it claims currently gives too much power to Cllr Mansbridge.

The group claims a decision by the scrutiny committee – that the housing target of 652 should be reviewed – has been ignored by the leader of the council.

The petition calls for a committee system to be introduced, giving power to councillors beyond the leadership.

If the petition reaches 5,243 signatures, representing 5% of voters, it will force the council to hold a referendum on the issue. GGG has been advised by the authority that it must be completed on paper, not online.

Cllr Mansbridge previously described the petition as an "act of irresponsibility driven by the political agenda of GGG".

He has stood by Cllr Juneja since the Surrey Advertiser first revealed that she is not, as previously claimed, a barrister.

As councillor for Ash South and Tongham, he is a member of Surrey Heath Conservative Association and not the Guildford association.

Councillors Mansbridge and Juneja both declined to comment on the developments within the association.

Guildford MP Anne Milton congratulated Cllr Young for leaving a "wonderful legacy" but was unavailable for comment on claims by party insiders that she played a role in the vote of no confidence.

Cllr Young said he had experienced a "wonderful and challenging" time as chairman and felt he had succeeded in turning the association around ahead of the 2015 election.

Jill Eyles, president of Guildford Conservative Association and acting chairman until the general meeting in March, said: “Alan has done a terrific job and it will be hard to replace him. He will be missed.”